Improvement in compositions for tanning



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER HILL, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMPOSlTlONS FOR TANNING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 29,488, dated August 7,1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER HILL, of Dubuque, in the county of Dubuqueand State of Iowa, have invented a. new and Improved Composition forTanning; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same.

My invention consists in the employment of a composition of soda,gum-tragacanth, terrajaponica, alum, common salt, saltpeter, andprussia-te of potash, mixed together in a certain proportion anddissolved in water, for the purpose of tanning hides and skins.

The proportion in which I mix the abovenamed ingredients is as follows:soda, one pound; gum-tragaoanth, one pound; terrajaponica, twelvepounds; alum, four pounds; common salt, three pounds; saltpeter, onehalfpound; prussiate of pot-ash, one-fourth pound. These ingredients aredissolved in water, and the hides or skins, after having been worked inthe usual manner, are introduced into this liquor and left there aboutten days.

This time is sutficient to finish the tanning process, and the leatherproduced is superior to other quick-tanned leather. It is not liable tocrack, it preserves its toughness, and it resembles in all itsproperties the leather prepared in the ordinary slow manner. Theinfluence of the soda and trag'acanth counteracts the v ALEXANDER HILL.

Witnesses:

M. H. BEACH, GEO. GRAY.

